But I Just Got You Back
by honestlydarkprincess
Summary: They all thought it would be an easy mission. No one expected it to end the way it did. Major Character Death.
Hello again! Sorry if this story sucks, I'm trying to get back to writing, so I thought I'd post this oneshot. Hopefully I'll write some happier stories for you guys soon.

 **I don't take credit for the original prompt, but the story is mine.**

This doesn't have a happy ending, so please read at your own expense.

* * *

Steve thought things were getting better. Bucky was finally starting to get some memories back, and was responding to Steve's hesitant touches. At first, Bucky was stoic and silent, looking lost whenever Steve would casually mention something from their past. He wouldn't make eye contact, flinched whenever Steve reached out to touch him, and would wake up screaming in the middle of the night. It broke Steve's heart. Not only had he lost Bucky once, but when he got him back...it was like they had never met.

But then, months and months later, a light started to return to Bucky's eyes. It made Steve so hopeful and he would light up whenever Bucky would respond to him, let him touch him, or even just that little half smile of Bucky's.

* * *

Everything changed a year after he got Bucky back. Bucky had become part of the Avengers, him finally being comfortable enough with the team to fight side by side with them; and the team trusting him enough to let him watch their backs. It was a routine call, something about giant robots trying to destroy lower Manhattan.

They got the call around 12 a.m., the team had been having a movie night; and they all got ready quickly, expecting it to be an easy call and they'd be back soon enough to finish the movie.

"You sure about this Buck?" Steve said, as he strapped his shield to his back, worried that maybe Bucky wasn't ready to go out into the field, even though lately he'd been back to his old self for the most part.

"Ya, Stevie I got this." Bucky rolled his eyes, clapping Steve on the back. His grin faltered when he saw the genuine concern in his Steve's eyes. He knew that Steve had been worried about him, and probably would never stop worrying about him. His eyes softened and he reached up to put his hand on Steve's shoulder, his grip firm and reassuring.

"Hey, hey Stevie look at me" He said, making eye contact with Steve. Out of the corner of his eye he could see the others had finished suiting up and were quietly leaving them to have a private movement. He made a mental note to thank them later. He returned his attention back to Steve, and saw the other man was now looking down, a frown marring his beautiful face. He slipped a finger underneath his chin and gently forced him to look him in the eyes. Then he noticed the shining of tears in Steve's eyes.

"Shhh Stevie, it's ok, we'll go out, fight the bad guys, and be back home before you know it" Bucky gently cooed. He didn't know what was wrong, but he knew this was more than Steve's usual worry.

"M'sorry Buck" Steve mumbled "I just have a bad feeling about this".

"I know" Bucky responded, rubbing Steve's shoulder soothingly. "But everything's gonna be ok" He promised, even though he didn't know that.

Steve seemed to curl into himself for a moment, before he took on a determined expression, nodded once and straightened his shoulders.

"Atta boy, lets do this!" Bucky cheered, trying to shake the bad feeling that was trying to creep on him. He made sure nothing showed on his face, he didn't want Steve to know that he himself was a little worried. If he did, there was no way Steve would let him go out on the mission, and he needed to be there for his Steve, watching his six.

They had been fighting for hours, and everyone was getting tired. They had thought this was going to be an easy call, none of them were prepared for the intense fight these robots posed.

* * *

Steve was in Cap mode, giving orders left and right. Tony was flying high, trying to take out as many robots as possible, but more and more seemed to be appearing. They couldn't figure out where the robots were coming from, all they knew was that as soon as they took out one, five more appeared.

But as they continued to fight, it looked as though they were starting to win. The number of robots were getting smaller, and that gave Steve some hope. All he wanted was to go back to the tower, put in the movie, and find a way to covertly cuddle with Bucky. At this point though, he was ready to just blatantly cuddle him, and claim exhaustion if Bucky opposed.

All of a sudden he heard a blood curling scream. He knew that scream, having heard it so many times in the middle of the night when Bucky woke up from nightmares. He froze. Everything around him seemed to slow down and stop. He whirled around and dashed to where the sound had come from, he could hear his teammates taking over and covering the section he had left open.

He sprinted around the corner and stopped dead. Right in the middle of the street, Bucky lay on the ground. Steve stood frozen, he didn't want to believe his eyes. He made himself move and rushed to his best friend's side. When he got there, he fell to his knees at the scene in front of him.

Bucky's hand was clenched around his throat, blood spilling over his fingers. He made a gurgling sound, his eyes wide and lips moving wordlessly.

"No no no no no" Steve mumbled, hunching over Bucky and trying to apply more pressure to the gaping slit in his throat. How did this even happen?!

Bucky made a choking sound, trying to speak, but Steve just kept shushing him.

"It's ok Buck, you're gonna make it, shhh don't speak, hold on" Steve kept mumbling, desperation leaking into his voice. Bucky couldn't die. He couldn't. He had just gotten him back.

"Shh Buck, everything's fine, you're fine, you'll be fine." Steve said, he was cradling Bucky's head in his arms, still trying to apply more pressure to the wound, Bucky's blood staining his hands.

Bucky reached up with his other hand, and cupped Steve's cheek, smearing the tears that had been falling without Steve noticing. Steve could see that Bucky's grip was starting to get weaker and his eyes were starting to droop.

"No, stay with me, baby, stay with me" Steve sobbed, he didn't notice his teammates coming up behind him.

Bucky's eyes slipped closed and his body went lax in Steve's arms. Steve's breath caught and his eyes went wide.

"No" He breathed, almost silently. Then a devastating scream broke past his lips, the agony he was feeling captured in the painful sound.

"Come back, come back, please Bucky, come back" He screamed, rocking back and forth, cradling Bucky's body.

"Steve" Natasha said but he didn't hear her. He didn't hear any of his teammates, or anyone around him. He didn't notice when Natasha put her hand on his shoulders. Didn't notice when she tried to pry his bloody hands away from Bucky's body. All he could see and feel was Bucky. He sobbed and screamed until his throat was raw, until numbness started to seep into him.

He didn't react when Shield agents came. When they pried him off Bucky's body. When they took his best friend's body away. Didn't even notice when they sedated him, and took him away.

* * *

He woke up in a white room. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew that he was in one of Shields medical rooms, but he couldn't fathom why he was here. Then it all came rushing back. The fight, the robots, _Bucky_. He looked at his hands, even though they were clean now he could still feel Bucky's blood on them.

He had just gotten him back.

And now he was gone again.

He laid back down, closed his eyes, and gave into the numbness.

Everything was cold.

* * *

"He'll never be the same, will he?" Natasha whispered to Tony. They were watching Steve from outside the room, in the double sided mirror.

"No. I don't think he will" Tony replied, just as quietly. He shuddered as he remembered the scream that came from Cap when Bucky had died. That was a sound he'd never forget.

"Fuck."

The End.

* * *

I hope you guys liked it! Sorry for all the angst XD


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